The Boston Parks and Recreation Commission voted unanimously at their July 29 meeting to name the tot lot at Hyde Park’s Iacono Playground in honor of lifelong Readville resident and local business owner Richard “Richy” Ferzoco.

The Commission’s decision was in response to a petition from residents and a letter of support from Mayor Thomas M. Menino who cited Ferzoco’s ownership of the Hyde Park Pharmacy, “a neighborhood institution that has provided goods and services to residents since 1954. In this position, Mr. Ferzoco routinely made sure that his neighbors in need could shop at his store regardless of their ability to pay.”

Mayor Menino’s letter went on to cite Ferzoco’s support of Hyde Park’s young people. “Mr. Ferzoco’s sponsorship of Little League teams, basketball teams, and other youth programs over several decades allowed countless young people to participate in recreational activities in the neighborhood,” the Mayor wrote.

In closing, Menino stated that “as Mayor of Boston and a lifelong resident, I believe naming the [tot lot] at Iacono Field for Mr. Richard Ferzoco would be a fitting tribute to a man who has contributed so much to the neighborhood of Readville and the people of Boston.”

Ferzoco is a graduate of Hyde Park High School and the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard and bought the Hyde Park Pharmacy at 1461 River Street after being discharged. He closed the pharmacy side of the family-run business last October and reopened as Richy’s Luncheonette and General Store.

The petitioners noted in their request that “renaming the children’s tot lot in Richy Ferzoco’s name would properly honor a man who has been so deeply rooted in the community for several decades and serve as a reminder to those who utilize the park of the contributions he has made to Hyde Park.”

The tot lot is presently scheduled for improvements which will result in a state-art-of-the-art facility when it is officially unveiled and named in Ferzoco’s honor next year. The Boston Parks and Recreation Department is currently in the process of holding a series of public meetings to solicit community input on the tot lot renovations.

The second community meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 15, in the park located at150 Readville Street. The construction budget for the project is $600,000 with the community meeting process continuing through September, design work and bidding over the winter, and construction in early spring to late summer of 2014.